Angie DiNardo (George Mason University)
Current folklore scholarship is short on studies of folks who use the pronouns they/them/theirs. The group of people using these pronouns is growing rapidly while esoteric and exoteric folklore keep pace. Folklore and folklife pertaining to gender that has previously been more rigid is yielding to new expressions. Drawing on ongoing ethnographic research and fieldwork at George Mason University, this presentation is concerned with the stories of people who use these pronouns, the meaning created by using they/them/theirs pronouns, the role of these pronouns in personal and communal identity formation, interaction with the gender binary, and intersections with race and class.
Part of 05-14 Gender, Folklore, and Identity, Friday, November 03, 10:30 am–12:30 pm